The Kump House Education Center offered its second year of Around the World Spanish Camp last week for children ages 4 through 12. Led by Elkins High School Spanish teacher Leah Devine, kids were engrossed in the culture of foreign Spanish-speaking countries, such as Mexico, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica and more.

“It was an immersive type of camp,” Kump House Communications and Environmental Education Specialist Nanci Bross-Fregonara, told The Inter-Mountain. “The students learned words, they learned vocabulary, they learned about the culture and the food of these Spanish-speaking countries.”

Each day was themed after a different country, with lessons, food, crafts and games, such as “Luz Roja, Luz Verde,” or “Red Light, Green Light,” correlating with the country of the day. 

The campers, 15 in total, also made their own lunches every day, creating and trying new Spanish foods. Bross-Fregonara noted that, when asked what their favorite part of the camp was, the kids said it was the food.

The Inter-Mountain photo by Taylor McKinnie Elkins High Spanish Teacher Leah Devine and campers go over what they learned during the week with family and friends at the Kump Education Center’s Around the World Spanish Camp open house on Friday.

“They discovered food from all sorts of Spanish-speaking countries around the world,” Bross-Fregonara said. “It wasn’t just Mexico, it wasn’t just Spain, it was islands and all sorts of places.”

Bross-Fregonara stated that one student, Kaylee White, of Adolph, received a scholarship funded by private donors to attend the camp. Kaylee is an honors student at Tygarts Valley Middle School and attends Summit Church.

The week culminated with an open-house for the campers’ family members where the kids demonstrated what they learned about each country and what crafts they made throughout the week, including a piñata.

Along with Devine, the camp was overseen by several volunteer students from Elkins High School, one of whom was from Ecuador. Bross-Fregonara said it was wonderful having help from high school students.

“Having that type of talent, having students of that caliber, that could help with the camp, says a lot about the Spanish language program at the high school,” Bross-Fregonara said. “And the ones that were from other countries were able to really share the culture of their country with the students as well.”

Bross-Fregonara said that, as of right now, it looks like the Kump House will be having the camp again next year. She also said the Education Center is also exploring the idea of having shorter follow-up afternoon programs or Saturday workshops to help campers keep up with learning languages.

“I like to tell people to look for a lot more things coming,” Bross-Fregonara said when explaining that more plans are in the works at the Kump House. “The Center feels strongly about the importance of international knowledge.”

On Thursday, the Kump House will offer a lecture on South Africa hosted by Nasra Adan, a visiting lecturer from Prince Sultan University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The lecture starts at 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

For more information about upcoming events at the Kump House, visit kumpeducationcenter.org or the Kump Education Center Facebook page.